Unified Economic Opportunity Commission: 2022 General Legislative Session

Accomplishments of the 2022 General Legislative Session

The Unified Economic Opportunity Commission (UEOC) began in July 2021 as a coordinated initiative of Utah's executive and legislative branches and local government leaders. Gov. Spencer Cox chairs the UEOC, with Senate President Stuart Adams and House Speaker Brad Wilson on the commission to provide maximal coordination across government branches. The UEOC develops meaningful solutions to the state's most pressing economic issues. It is staffed primarily by the Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity, working with numerous partner agencies and legislators.

Going into the 2022 General Legislative Session, the UEOC developed more than 30 new policy initiatives with hundreds of stakeholders. The UEOC also worked with the legislature for their input and consideration. Below is a list of legislative and funding accomplishments stemming from UEOC recommendations:

H.B. 333: Economic and Workforce Development Amendments H.B. 333 was expansive in what it accomplished for the UEOC and the state’s economic and workforce development. This bill reorganized many programs within the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity, established the Women in the Economy Subcommittee of the UEOC, modified grant programs administered through the office, and created the Rural Opportunity Fund and a Rural Opportunity Advisory Committee, centralizing previous programs.

H.B. 35: Economic Development Modifications This bill overhauls the state's Economic Development Tax Increment Financing (EDTIF) program and ensures a more targeted and conservative use of corporate recruitment tax credits along the Wasatch Front. Additionally, it encourages incoming businesses to consider operations in the more rural parts of the state, off of the Wasatch Front.

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H.B. 151: Retail Facility Incentive Payments Amendments This bill narrows the scope of local incentives available for large retail development. Commonly accepted economic theory dictates that retail follows rooftops, and any government incentives typically constitute a “race to the bottom” of unnecessary tax giveaways between municipalities.

H.B. 17: State Small Business Credit Initiative Program Fund Amendments This bill overhauls the state's Economic Development Tax Increment Financing (EDTIF) program and ensures a more targeted and conservative use of corporate recruitment tax credits along the Wasatch Front. Additionally, it encourages incoming businesses to consider operations in the more rural parts of the state, off of the Wasatch Front.

S.B. 22: Public-Private Partnerships Amendments This legislation helps facilitate public-private partnerships within the state. Although it was due to sunset, legislators, with our input, determined this was a beneficial program to continue and expand.

S.B. 212: Manufacturing Modernization Grant Program This is a new $10 million grant program for Utah businesses to help modernize and bring back high-quality manufacturing jobs.

S.B. 127: Early Literacy Outcomes Improvement This bill aligns existing literacy programs toward a common goal, equips teachers and administrators with evidence-based teaching methods, and places literacy coaches in the lowest-performing schools.

This initiative also provides resources to support parent, family, and community reading efforts to get 70% of Utah’s third-graders to read at grade level.

H.B. 355: Higher Education Financial Aid Amendments As it relates to the UEOC, this bill eliminates strategic workforce initiatives and, in its place, creates regional pathway coordinators in higher education. Regional pathway coordinators will assist students looking for employment, work with education institutions to align curriculums, and create stackable credentialing models in each career and technical education service region.

RFA: Computer Science Initiative This initiative prioritizes funding for robust computer science education in all Utah junior high and high schools.

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RFA: Utah Adopt-A-School This program connects businesses with Utah’s K-12 schools to foster an ecosystem of support, innovation, and career exploration for students.

RFA: Apprenticeships and Work-Based Learning We have broadened the focus of apprenticeships to go beyond the traditional skilled trades and to more innovative apprenticeship models supporting targeted industries.

S.B. 140: Housing & Transit Reinvestment Zone Amendments The reinvestment zone amendments encourage strategic housing density around public transit. Initially, HTRZs were primarily restricted to frontrunner stations. This measure expands HTRZs to include light rail stations and bus rapid transit stations.

H.B. 462: Housing Affordability Amendments This bill addresses statewide housing affordability by requiring developments to implement additional strategies into their moderate-income housing plan.

H.B. 36: Commission on Housing Affordability Amendments The Commission on Housing Affordability will become the Subcommittee on Housing Affordability within the UEOC. The subcommittee will drive affordable housing solutions and collaborate with other economic development initiatives.

RFA: Conversation on Growth This initiative launches a statewide conversation about growth. This effort will work with local communities to address new development and provide clarity around community growth policies.

RFA: Property Rights Ombudsman This train-the-trainer program funding provides technical support to local officials on property rights issues.

RFA: Local Technical Support This initiative enhances technical assistance available for local planning officials. This ensures that even the smallest communities in our state have access to the best information available.

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S.B. 43: Occupational and Professional Licensing Modifications This bill allows the Division of Professional Licensing to consider a person’s out-of-state or international credentials. By making it easier for skilled individuals to obtain professional licensing, this measure aims to decrease our labor shortage and increase opportunities available to those who move to Utah.

S.B. 216: Modifications to Driver License Examination This legislation requires the Driver License Division to provide driver license examinations in English and the top five other languages spoken in the state.

H.B. 163: Driver License Testing Modifications H.B. 163 allows humanitarian parolees to take their first driver's license exam in their native language.

Previously only refugees or asylees qualified for such accommodation.

H.B. 326: State Innovation Amendments This bill encourages private businesses to implement innovative projects to address air quality or water conservation.

Learn more at

BUSINESS.UTAH.GOV

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